Medivh
(Slain by Khadgar, resurrected by Aegwynn; later took his place "amongst the legends of the past.") | relatives = Aegwynn (mother) Nielas Aran (father) Brighteyes (daughter?) Khadgar (apprentice) | level = ?? | type = Boss | location = The Black Morass (in the historic Opening the Dark Portal), Unknown (presently) }} Magus Medivh, Unknown. Tides of Darkness. 11. who may also be known as Magna Medivh, was the last Guardian of Tirisfal, an ancient line of protectors bestowed with great powers to do battle with the agents of the Burning Legion. He was corrupted from birth and possessed by the spirit of the demonlord Sargeras, who used Medivh in his plan to conquer Azeroth. Medivh contacted the orcish warlock, Gul'dan, and together they opened the Dark Portal, which allowed the Horde to begin its destruction of Azeroth. He was slain shortly after by a party led by one of his friends, Lothar. Shortly before the beginning of the Third War, Medivh returned as a mysterious prophet, guiding the mortal races to victory at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The prophet's name means "keeper of secrets" in Thalassian. He possessed . He is voiced by Michael Bell in Warcraft III and Cam Clarke in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. In World of Warcraft, he ends the quest , and begins the quest . See Caverns of Time NPCs and Karazhan NPCs. Biography Birth Medivh's mother, Aegwynn, served as the Guardian of Tirisfal before him. Eight centuries before the coming of the orcs, she fought and seemingly defeated Sargeras. This was according to the demon lord's plan, as he used the opportunity to transfer his essence into her body, where he would lay in wait. Forty-five years before the coming of the orcs, Aegwynn desired to give birth to a child to whom she could pass on her powers, against the wishes of the Order of Tirisfal. She seduced the court conjurer of the kingdom of Azeroth, Nielas Aran, who was a powerful sorcerer of the Order in his own right. Naming the boy Medivh, which means "keeper of secrets" in the high elven tongue, Aegwynn was unaware that Sargeras had possessed the defenseless child while it was still in her womb. The boy, and Sargeras, were given all of Aegwynn's powers, which were to lay dormant until he reached adulthood. Childhood Medivh had a happy childhood, primarily spent with friends Prince Llane Wrynn and Anduin Lothar. One day, while out on the road in Stranglethorn Vale, Medivh and his friends were ambushed by three jungle trolls. None were hurt badly, however, Medivh fainted after casting several spells. He would at some point succumb to a coma on his fourteenth birthday, awaking in the middle of the night from evil dreams, where he pictured figures giving chase through deep chasms. In a sweat, he stumbled into his father's room, and when his father touched his brow, the power his mother had given him awoke. By the time the force had subsided, his father was dead and Medivh nearly so himself. Spanning over twenty years, Medivh, in a coma caused by Sargeras, was tended by his friend Lothar, as well as the clerics at Northshire Abbey. It is unknown if the two events are connected in some way. The fallen Guardian Medivh awoke over twenty years later under a facade of control, and assured the court and his mother Aegwynn that he was fine. But the dark spirit of Sargeras twisted his thoughts and emotions towards an insidious end. With Medivh's powers growing exponentially daily, he had set out to know everything, and he even consorted with the Legion of the Lower Planes. He began to search for something with which to destroy the humans of Azeroth, who he saw as the only thing standing in his way of true power. He found that on Draenor. Bargaining with the warlock Gul'dan from his chambers in the tower of Karazhan, Medivh promised to furnish Gul'dan with the location of the Tomb of Sargeras if Gul'dan would bring the Horde to Azeroth and destroy the humans. And so, aided on the other side by Gul'dan's Shadow Council, Medivh opened the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor. Aegwynn then appeared to Medivh, trying to reason that this was the wrong path to take, but he heard nothing. They battled, with Medivh emerging the victor and banishing her from his sight. But the battle had drained him, so he attempted to draw power from the very land itself. It was shortly after this time that the mages of Dalaran sent Medivh an apprentice. This young apprentice was known as Khadgar, a name which among the dwarves meant Trust. Time passed as "Young Trust" studied under Medivh. He lived within Karazhan with a few others: Medivh studying, Moroes serving as his aide, and Cook the Chef making meals. Around this time, the war began picking up between the orcs and the humans, as the orcs increasingly struck out of the Black Morass. Medivh was sober about this, even remarking that it was happening as planned. Khadgar would be the first to discover that it was Medivh who has brought the orcs upon the lands of Azeroth. During this time, Khadgar and the Horde's emissary, Garona Halforcen, had an audience with King Llane and Anduin Lothar, where Lothar was convinced of Medivh's corruption. Lothar, one of Medivh's best friends, led a troop of human forces, which included Khadgar and Garona, to deal with the crazed Guardian. During the battle with Medivh, Khadgar—magically aged by Medivh's spellwork—held Lothar's blade to the Guardian's chest, and finally ran it through Medivh's heart. The demon within him awakened at that point, right up until Lothar delivered the mercy stroke, decapitating the Guardian and banishing Sargeras into the Nether. At the height of his powers, Medivh worked his magics and struggled with Sargeras in his tower of Karazhan. His powers were such that the trauma of his death laid a curse on his once wondrous tower and the surrounding area that became Deadwind Pass. The tower has become such a dangerous and accursed place, that those that venture in never return (Violet Eye chain). Medivh's magics created Medivh's Beetle at the time of the Second War. A prophet emerges Long after the Second War, a strange prophet appeared to various denizens of Azeroth. He appeared to deliver a warning of a looming apocalyptic threat. The young Warchief of the Horde—Thrall, son of Durotan—sensed the truth of his words and set sail to the ancient lands of Kalimdor in the far west beyond the sea. With the humans, however, he found some difficulty. King Terenas of Lordaeron and Antonidas of Dalaran both dismissed the prophet as a madman. The King's son, Prince Arthas, refused to leave his beleaguered people. Only the young daughter of Daelin Proudmoore, and apprentice of Antonidas, Jaina, sensed that he was perhaps right. When he appeared to her after the destruction of Stratholme, she heeded his warning and prepared to leave for the west. She set sail with a group of her people just as the invasion began. The prophet remained aloof for some time, until he reappeared to Thrall and Jaina as they prepared to do battle with each other. He told them that they must cease hostilities if they ever hoped to defeat the Burning Legion. They reluctantly agreed to his words. Finally, the prophet revealed his identity when the time came to rally the forces. Appearing to Thrall; the night elves Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind; and Jaina; in a dream, the prophet told them that they must form an alliance to battle the common enemy. He told them that he was, in fact, Medivh, the Last Guardian of Tirisfal, and that it was his doing that brought the orcs, and, in turn, the Burning Legion, to Azeroth. Jaina, Thrall, and Tyrande became convinced that victory could only be achieved through an alliance, and they rallied together to defend the World Tree, Nordrassil. In the final hour, nature's spirits, called into action by the Horn of Cenarius' clarion call, swarmed around Archimonde, and destroyed the demon once and for all. Confident that the world was safe for now, and that he had repaid a fraction of debt for his terrible sins, Medivh vanished, to take his place "amongst the legends of the past." Deaths Medivh's death is unique in that it has been experienced by players in at least three different ways. In the original Warcraft game, the player had to enter his lair and slay him. His lair was filled with summoned and cave beings: Skeletons, scorpions, fire elementals and daemons. Lothar, Khadgar, and Garona are all absent. Medivh's death was clearly described in The Last Guardian, where it is clearly established that he was slain by the three listed above—with Khadgar wielding the blade that was run through Medivh's heart (and Lothar then decapitating him). Finally, in the interlude The Last Guardian in the Eternity's End campaign in Warcraft III, Medivh is shown in a flashback being killed by human footmen. Though the captain figure in the scene could be Lothar, Khadgar and Garona are nowhere to be seen. In Tides of Darkness its explained that Lothar was with Garona, Khadgar and a handful of men when they defeated Medivh, perhaps combining all three versions. Resurrection His choice to remain uninvolved directly in the Third War led some to believe he was a ghost. However, Medivh had been resurrected by his mother using the last of her magic when it became clear that a new threat loomed over the world of Azeroth — a threat in the form of the Scourge, the latest weapon of destruction devised by the Burning Legion. Aegwynn had survived the battle with Medivh, who promptly set up magical wards to ensure that his mother lived in peace. Medivh briefly returned to Karazhan, prior to heralding the threat of the Scourge, where he interacted with a past version of Khadgar (though it was a future version of Medivh from Khadgar's perspective). He explained to his erstwhile apprentice that with his burial in the past by Khadgar and his current return to life, the good (the Guardian) and the evil (Sargeras) battling within him had been destroyed, and that he was, perhaps for the first time, only Medivh. Exactly what happened to him after the events of the Battle of Mount Hyjal is unknown; he may have met the end of his wandering on Azeroth, dying or somehow departing the material plane, or he may have simply retired somewhere distant. More recently, a black raven can be seen endlessly circling Karazhan, leading some to suggest that the Last Guardian may linger on in some form. Nonetheless, his fate remains unknown. Personality Medivh’s soul constantly struggles with that of Sargeras for control of his body and mind. The fight between them is constant, and results in Medivh shifting periodically between stretches of calmness and lucidity and bouts of strangely incomprehensible behavior. To outsiders, he often seems to make abrupt decisions or reverse his position on issues. When the struggle between the two souls becomes too great for Medivh’s body to handle, he sinks into a catatonic state and becomes completely unresponsive. These periods vary greatly in duration and can range from a matter of minutes to months. When Medivh is in control of his body and mind, he is a friendly and wise individual. He cares deeply for a number of the high-ranking human leaders and puts the needs of the kingdom above almost everything else. He has defended Lordaeron from attack many times throughout the years and has built a great reputation as a staunch defender of the land. He is not naturally biased against any of the races, and displays a fair amount of interest in people who bring to him stories of distant lands or cultures. However, when Sargeras is in control, Medivh’s personality shifts dramatically. He becomes sullen and distant, barely acknowledges the presence of close friends, and practically ignores strangers. He is secretive and often travels to faraway places abruptly. In private, Medivh will not hesitate to do away with annoying visitors by using his spells to kill or incapacitate them. However, he is moderately concerned about his cover being blown with the Lordaeron leadership and will not act out of character in public Combat Medivh’s tactics are often erratic, depending upon which personality is in control at the time. Nonetheless, the common theme with both personalities is to stay at range and harass enemies with potent spells. He often casts only a few spells and then retreats for a few rounds to strike again later from another direction. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade In the Burning Crusade expansion, three major instances are linked to Medivh. The first is his tower of Karazhan in Deadwind Pass, which has been abandoned since Medivh's death at the hands of his apprentice, Khadgar, shortly before the end of the First War. The other two are battles within the Caverns of Time: the Battle of Mount Hyjal, where Medivh convinced the Alliance and the Horde to fight against Archimonde, and the Opening of the Dark Portal, where Medivh himself is seen in World of Warcraft. An "echo" of Medivh is also seen in Karazhan itself, where players play a game of chess against him in the Gamesman's Hall. Caverns of Time Medivh makes his appearance in World of Warcraft in Opening the Dark Portal, the second instance within the Caverns of Time, opened after Thrall's escape from Durnholde. It is set in the Black Morass just as Medivh prepares to open the Dark Portal, and the player group must protect him from members of the Infinite Dragonflight attempting to kill him and prevent the opening of the Portal—and the foundation of the horde. Medivh is also involved in the attunement process for Karazhan. After obtaining the fragments of Khadgar's key from instances in Outland, Khadgar sends you to the Black Morass to speak to Medivh and gain possession of the Master's Key. However, you must have completed the instance (Medivh must survive to open the Dark Portal) before you can speak to him and gain his key. Strangely, Medivh's character model, from where his animations are derived, is that of a male night elf as opposed to a human, which accounts for his increased height. Status as an Eternal Medivh is classified as an Eternal in the legends chapter of Shadows & Light, but the book is unclear as to how or when he reached that status. The article is mostly concerned with the period in history when he was possessed by Sargeras. This likely means that he was an Eternal only because he was possessed by one. It doesn't seem to be related to the fact he was a guardian, as other guardians are not Eternals, for example Aranda. It's less likely but it might be possible that it refers to when he became the legendary Oracle. In this case it would mean that Medivh transcended beyond even his powers as the last Guardian to become an Eternal; however the book implies he was only a ghost at that point. The book is also pretty clear that no new Eternals have appeared in modern times. Atiesh The most powerful mages focus their powers into magical staves, and Medivh was no different. His staff, , was possessed by an agent of Sargeras, thus boosting Medivh's already-immeasurable powers. When Medivh was killed, Atiesh was taken to Dalaran, where it was revealed that the spirit within killed anyone who dared try to wield it. It was locked away in a secret and secure vault for nearly three decades following Medivh's death, until Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde. The staff was shattered into 42 pieces—the 40 splinters of the shaft, the base, and the headpiece. The base found its way into C'Thun's possession in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj in an unknown way from Brann Bronzebeard (who found it through his exploration of Azeroth), and the headpiece was located by the necromancer-lich Kel'Thuzad, who was responsible for summoning Archimonde in the first place. The 40 splinters of the shaft are in the hands of Kel'Thuzad's lieutenants, spread out across his citadel of Naxxramas in the Eastern Plaguelands. Even if the staff were restored, it would need to be exorcised of the dark taint within... Quotes Medivh has made many statements, worthy of quotation. However, there is one that is the most memorable; his farewell at the end of the Third War (and Warcraft III), below. The roots will heal in time... as will the entire world. The sacrifices have been made. Just as the orcs, humans, and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe, so did Nature herself rise up to banish the Shadow...forever. As for me, I came back to ensure that there would be a future, to teach the world that it no longer needed Guardians. The hope for future generations has always resided in ''mortal hands. And now that my task is done, I will take my place...amongst the legends of the past.'' See also *Chronicles of the War in Azeroth - A detailed history of Medivh's childhood and his relationship to Prince Llane *History of Warcraft *The Last Guardian - The tale of Khadgar's stay with Medivh **Aegwynn and the Dragon Hunt **The Last Guardian Gallery Image:Medivh1.jpg|Medivh, WC1 manual Image:Medivh_color.JPG|As seen in Shadows & Light Image:ActionMedivh.jpg|The Medivh action figure References External links Category:Game characters Category:Lore characters Category:Major characters Category:Humans Category:Lore Category:Karazhan NPCs Category:Unique voices Category:Featured Articles Category:Outsiders Category:Black Morass Category:Action figures